When Darkness Falls
by LifesDarkFire
Summary: Esther begins having dreams about her past, and is then targeted by the murderer of her family twelve years before and turned into a vampire. Can Abel find Esther and a cure before time runs out, and is he connected to her past? fuller summary inside
1. A new Mission, and a strange dream?

After a very long absence I've returned with a new chapter story. I'm very excited about this one and hope you like it. I rewrite Esther past a little to help fit the story, so if her past doesnt follow the anime/manga that's why. Also Esther's dreams contain thoguhts which are _italisized. _I don't know how many chapters this will turn out to be since I'm still writing it. I'll try to update as soon as I can with the chapters but it will depend on school and my creativity. So please enjoy the story! And make sure to review so i know how its turning out.

The summary covers most of it but it involves Esther's mysterious past and the murderer of her family who has targeted her again by turning her into a vampire. Will Abel find Esther and the cure in time before she succumbs to a vampiric insanity, does he know this murderer who's targeting Esther and ultimitely him? Also does the strange dreams Esther keeps having hint at a past encounter with Abel?

Esther shivered, the cold night air seeped into her sleeve dancing across her skin leaving goose bumps across her outstretched arm, and her arm shook as she stepped gently across the hard stone floor of the church. Her breath rattled across the empty space of air as her eyes scanned the dark expanse before her, the hair on her neck rising. It was here, her target, it was watching her from the shadows … waiting.

"Your mission is to find and eliminate a vampire on the edge of insanity that has been plaguing the city of Carthage. The estimated time of the mission will be fourteen days, you are expected to have handled and finished this mission by the fifteenth of April." Caterina looked up at the two AX members, her monocle catching and reflecting the sunlight rays as she finished the rest of the mission's requirements. Abel's head nodded up and down as his mind wandered off in the direction of a certain nun that stood beside him, Esther's face had drawn itself downward her ocean blue orbs focused themselves on the thick carpet below her feet.

Abel looked from Esther to Caterina, worry shone in his eyes. "Well then, we'll be going!" Abel exclaimed, his voice bouncing off of the walls and reverberating, trying to make up for Esther's mood. He extended his hand outward to Caterina, looking down expectantly a small grin erupting across his face. She stared downward at Abel's empty hand and looked up again her face blank as she stared at Abel's ridiculous display.

"Abel?" Caterina questioned, still staring at Abel's upturned hand. Abel's smile fell as he looked downward into his still empty palm, "Don't we get some money for souvenirs?" Abel asked his voice still hopeful.

Caterina sighed, "Some priest you are, and don't you remember your vows?" Abel's shoulders slumped down as he withdrew his hand, "It was worth a try anyways. Come along Miss Esther we have to catch a train!" Abel cried as he grabbed Esther's hand and dragged her out of the room fearing a lecture from the Cardinal on a priest's vows.

Catarina smile turned downward as the two left, she reached over her desk and pushed a button lying hidden underneath piles of paper work. "Sister Kate." Caterina called.

"Yes?" Answered back Kate her voice full of static as her wavering form appeared before Caterina. "Tell me Kate what does April fifteenth have in common with Sister Esther Blanchett?"

Kate's brow furrowed as she thought, "That is, I believe her birthday, and also the day she lost her parents."

Caterina sighed, a slender gloved hand brushing away a stray lock of golden hair. "They were killed by him weren't they?" Caterina whispered her eyes worried as she thought of the small red headed nun.

Kate nodded her eyes drifting downward to her clenched hands. "No one else has made the connection yet." Caterina nodded her eyes fluttered closed as she clenched her rosary praying no one would.

Abel struggled to place his bag in the small compartment under the seats of the train his gloved hands slipping on the handle as he tried to push the bag farther in. From beside him he heard a light laughter, his heart clenching when he realized it was Esther's. Abel gave one final shove forcing the large bag into the small space and looked up his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Esther sat smiling up at him her small frown replaced with a smile; content Abel turned his attention to the window and the speeding scenery outside of it.

Beside Abel Esther's eyes closed gently as she was lulled to sleep by constant click, clack of the train as it rushed over its iron rails. Before long she succumbed to the soft darkness of sleep and the memories her dreams hid.

Her heart was racing, beating so fast that it hurt her ribs, her breath was shallow as she ran, the constant beating of her feet matching the fast racing beat of her heart. _Faster _she thought, _faster before he catches you, like he did mommy and_ _daddy_.

_What? What's happening__?_ Esther's mind was caught in a nightmare that seemed all too real to her. She was five years old again, and she was running. But what was she running from? _Him_. Her mind called, _I'm running from him_.

Her foot caught on a rock and she fell, her hands splayed out in front of her to break her fall as she tumbled down to the ground. Pain soared upward from her hands as she pushed herself up again, the need to get away overwhelmed her and she pushed onward, her hands cut and bleeding stung in protest as they hit the night's air.

Esther turned back her red hair falling into her large sapphire eyes obscuring her view; she brushed the strands back smearing ruby drops of blood across her small pale face as her eyes wildly searched for _him._ The path behind her was dark, her light footsteps echoing softly after each strike her legs made against the hard stone road. Her ears still rang with terrified screams of protest calling her attention to the memories she tried to push back, memories that made her shiver as she ran creating a coldness that turned the sweat that ran off of her brow cold. "Mommy…" she whispered to the cold air, "mommy I…I'm scared." Only silence answered her small child pleas. Tears ran downward mixing themselves with the small specks of blood that had dried on her cheeks, and the drops of cold sweat that poured from her brow as she ran.

Her foot faltered again, her ankle twisting painfully as she fell to the ground once more. Her hands were to slow to protect her face as she came crashing down to the ground her temple hitting the ground turning her vision black as she tried to reach us and cradle her forehead, tried to stop the bleeding. But 

her actions fell still as a black curtain fell over her eyes drowning out her consciousness and plunging Esther even deeper into her nightmare.

I've always wanted to end on a cliff hanger, well thanks for reading and make sure to click that little "review" button and tell me what you think so far. Also let me know if I have to change anything I try to catch most of my errors but there are a lot sometimes. Well please keep a look out for chapter two!

- LifesDarkFire


	2. Dreams of Crimson

Chapter Two of the chapter story, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as you (hopefully) enjoyed the last one. Please remember to review so I know how the story is progressing with the readers. This chapter is a continuation of Esther's dream sequence which ended in the last chapter when she fell and hit her head. This chapter is a memory of what happened earlier that night and the reason why five year old Esther is running in the beginning of the dream. Hope this makes sense to you all; please tell me if it doesn't. Thanks for reading so far!

Blood, was everywhere drenching the white marble floors in ruby liquid as it spilled from sources still warm. Esther backed her small body against a cold marble column the blood slowly flowing into a puddle at her feet.

"Esther!" A voice screamed her name; it seemed to dominate the eerie silence that followed after the echoes of screams died away. Esther's small head whipped around searching frantically for the owner of the voice, and small whimpers of fear reverberated in her throat.

Suddenly her mother's arms were wrapped around her, long red hair drenched in blood fell into her face obscuring the sight of the ballroom as she was carried away from the bloody massacre. "Please…please God…" Esther's mother whispered over and over in a breathless mantra as she ran through the never ending hallways each step taking them farther from the ballroom away from the sight but the stench of blood seemed to follow them.

"Mommy?...Mommy?" Esther barely whispered trying to see through her mother's blood drenched locks, the blood turning her mother's normally ruby locks a dark crimson. But her mother didn't hear her whispered questions but kept repeating the same mantra, "Please…Please God…"

Esther buried her head into her mother's shoulder to silence her soft whimpering as her mother continued to ran, continued to chant the same senseless rhythm. Esther counted her mother's heartbeats as she ran to keep her mind off of the eerie silence that pervaded through the halls.

One…Two…Three… The screaming started again but this time they seemed closer. Esther gripped her mother tighter and buried her head harder against her mother's bare shoulder in an attempt to comfort herself. Four…Five…Six… "No, no, no, no." Her mother whispered breaking her praying mantra. She turned around running back the way she came trying to evade the screams but they followed. Seven…Eight…Nine… The screams seemed louder, closer, growing in intensity and with it the soft underlying voice that drove them on. Ten…Eleven…Twelve…

"Esther… Run, dear god, run!" Her mother put her down on unsteady feet and pushed her towards the outside, towards the cold night air. Esther studied her mother her small hand gripping her mother's wrist. Her waist length hair which had been gathered at the nape of her neck now hung in limp strands, each one lathered in blood, and her snow white neck was spotted in blood two dark holes laid precariously on her neck and blood slowly trickled down in miniscule lines.

Thirteen…Fourteen…Fifteen… Esther slowly began to notice the dark spots of dried blood on her mother's once sparkling gown, the golden lace on her bodice had been torn off and lay limp against her hip, blood had slowly covered it leaving it a small crimson spider web.

The screams suddenly stopped again leaving them in utter silence, both of their heartbeats thundering, reverberating against the marble halls. Sixteen…Seventeen…Eighteen… Her mother grew silent her eyes suddenly became hollow, their crystal blue color turning into a pit less black.

Nineteen……Twenty……….Twenty-One……… "No… Esther… RUN!" her mother screamed, the sound ripping itself out of her mother's throat, turning into a snarl of pain as she doubled over in pain. Esther's grip never faltering on her mother's wrist as the heartbeats she counted grew shallower. Twenty-two……….. Twenty-three………….Twenty-…….. Her mother lay motionless sprawled upon the marble floor her hand limp in Esther's grasp, ragged breaths entangled themselves in her throat as she struggled to breathe. Esther watched in horror as her mother struggled to fight, struggled to breath, struggled to live. Her last breath barely a whisper, "…run…"

Esther stood motionless over her mother's dead body, the warmth quickly fleeing into the cold marble below. She stood in silence her hand still clenched on her mother's slender wrist. Footsteps broke the silence, dark and heavy they came slowly almost taunting Esther, waiting for her to scurry away.

"You know, she's not dead." A man sighed. Esther looked up to see a man leaning against one of the many marbled pillars that lined the hallway, his face pale in contrast to his dark black suit and dark hair small ruby drops lay scattered on his face, his lips were drenched in crimson. "No, I left enough blood for her… just like I will for you." He lunged at Esther, his fangs dripping with fresh blood; the drops fell with tiny splashes, forming small pools of crimson.

Esther turned and ran, her feet slipping in the scattered pools of blood that littered the ballroom and its many adjoining hallways. Her breath caught in her throat as she pushed forward her crimson hair trailing behind her, like quick fire.

Esther reached the entrance of the palace just as she heard the quick patters of footsteps behind her. Esther looked back behind her and saw the dark haired man and her mother chasing from behind. Both pairs of eyes were black pools of hunger… for her.

She bit back a scream and forced herself through the large wooden doors, slamming her small body into them. She began to run across the hard rocky road her feet tripping over themselves as she looked back occasionally to see who if she was still being followed… if she was still…. Being…. Followed…

Thanks for reading please review! I'll be getting the third chapter up either tomorrow or the next day.

-LifesDarkFire


	3. Carthage Part 1

Chapter 3 is now up, sorry it took longer than I thought with school and such. I hope you like it.

_**Chapter 3**_

"Esther?"… "Esther?" A voice called Esther from the hazy darkness of her dream; she shivered involuntarily at the memory of the cold stone that had left her unconscious driving her further down into her all too real nightmares.

Abel's face loomed above hers his winter blue eyes probing her face, worry dancing its way across his face. Esther shook herself out of the grips of the phantom nightmare that plagued her sleep. "Yes Father?" Her blue eyes sparkled hiding the panic that was rising in her throat as her thoughts drifted back to her previous dream, a small smile tried to replace the frown that had curved her lips for most of train ride.

"We're here!" Abel stretched his arms and bounced upward slamming the top of his head onto the overhanging rail in the compartment. "Oww!" Abel cried trying to rub his aching head, realizing that touching it only worsened the bruise.

Esther shook her head and pushed past him in an attempt to hide the laughter that was bubbling up her throat. Abel frowned as he heard the whispered word of "idiot" as she brushed past him hurriedly and escaped into the train station.

Father Hugue met them at the station his face passive as he led them to the church in Carthage, as Abel tried to lighten the silence with senseless drabble, his gloved hands waving wildly in the air threatening to hit Hugue who dodged every time they came too close.

When the trio had reached the entrance of the church Hugue quickly showed one of the guards his AX identification card and slipped in, not looking back once to see if Abel and Esther would do the same. Esther reached into a pocket of her suitcase and produced her identification to the guard as the silver haired priest fumbled with the pockets of her coat trying to locate his ID.

"Lemme see here." Abel muttered as his white hands quickly dove into his pockets extracting small drops of hard candy and pieces of paper.

"Father…?" Esther questioned softly her face turning a deep crimson as the incident of missing identification seemed oddly nostalgic to her. She watched as Abel pulled more paper and more candy from his pockets finally reaching into his shoes to see if there was any chance the missing ID would be there. Luck was with Abel as he pulled his identification card out of his left shoe a confused expression on his face as he pondered when he had put it in there.

A memory flitted to his mind as he distinctly remembered telling himself he wouldn't forget where he would put it because he put it in his shoe. He had been positive that he wouldn't have forgotten such a strange place, but he had.

As he stood pondering these thoughts Esther had already gone inside the large church and her small footsteps echoed softly on the hard granite floor as Abel was pulled out of his thoughts and rushed forward to keep up with her.

When Abel was finally able to catch up with Esther and Hugue they were both sitting in an office being debriefed by the head of the church. The priest looked frail as his withered hands shook as he held a thin sheet of paper before him.

"As you've been told a suspicious and murderous vampire has been on a rampage in our city, you were sent here to hopefully eliminate this enemy of God. In order to save the people of Carthage you must eliminate it." The priest stopped and brought a withered hand up to his face and pressed a handkerchief against his forehead as he studied Abel and Esther. "Here is where the last sightings were recorded; you are to commence your mission tonight. God speed, and God Bless."

Abel stepped forward taking the thin paper from the priest who flinched at his sudden movement. Esther watched her heart twisting at the fear one vampire had placed in the whole city, and Hugue watched the two his tired blue remained transfixed on the two as they bent their head trying to decipher the cryptic writing of the old priest. When Abel and Esther looked up from the paper Hugue was gone, the soft closing of the office door the only evidence he had ever been there.

A sudden chill swept through the room as Abel and Esther bent their heads back down the memory of Hugue slowly fading from their minds but his piercing blue eyes seemed to remain, slowly burying themselves into the back of both their minds, chilling them with a premonition to dark to foresee.

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Well if you could review and tell me what you think. I'll be getting more into the plot now, such as Esther turning into a vmapire like the summary said. That will be happening in the next few chapters. I'm not planning to make this extremely long but I'm not sure. Well thanks for sticking with me so far! I promise the next chapter will be more exciting.

- LifesDarkFire


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